“Beyond Media final update
This will be my final update on the first release of Beyond Media. We’ve set the official launch date for Wednesday, December 1, 2004. At that time we’ll begin taking and shipping orders for Beyond Media on our website.

Beyond Media will be available as a 21-day trial and will be priced and sold at $49.99 (the CD-ROM version or the download version). Previously, I had posted a feature list for Beyond Media and I talked about skins and plug-ins for Beyond Media. Overall, here’s what sets Beyond Media apart:

* Easy to install and easy to use:
* Awesome design: Everything from the user interface (built using Direct3D) to how you create music playlists is designed to impress anyone and everyone that use your HTPC.
* Complete solution: Your HTPC won’t be a patchwork of plugins and add-ons because Beyond Media includes everything you need, including a Dolby 5.1 channel DVD player.
* Powerful and flexible: With 3rd party plugins and skins for Beyond Media, available through the SSDN, you’ll be able to make your HTPC do some really cool things.
* Works great with Beyond TV
* Developer friendly: A rich skinning engine and powerful plug-in architecture means two things: If you are a developer, you’ll be able to quickly build the next killer app for your television. And if you are a user, you’ll always have new plug-ins and skins to play with.

Alongside the Beyond Media launch, there will be a number of other new things at SnapStream.com:

* SnapStream Developer’s Network: The SSDN will launch with Beyond Media and will be the central resource for developing and downloading plug-ins and skins for Beyond TV and Beyond Media. There will be a number of plug-ins and skins available for download at launch for both products.
* Beyond TV Update: An update to Beyond TV 3.5 will deliver better integration with Beyond Media and some other bug fixes and improvements (including support for the PVR-150 and its IR blaster)
* New store bundles: There will be at least two new bundles in the store — an all-in-one bundle with the PVR-150 (great for both analog and digital users) and a bundle of Beyond Media with Firefly.”